Kohkanzada v Amiri [2024] NSWSC 492

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Kohkanzada v Amiri [2024] NSWSC 492 Hearing dates: 30, 31 January 2024 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 16 February 2024 Date of orders: 1, 29 May 2024 Decision date: 01 May 2024 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Cavanagh J Decision: (1) Judgment for the first defendant against the plaintiff. (2) Judgment for the second defendant against the plaintiff. (3) The plaintiff is to pay the first defendant's costs for the period when the first defendant was represented by solicitors from the date of the filing of her defence on 20 March 2018 until 21 July 2020. (4) The plaintiff is to pay the second defendant's costs as follows:

(a) up to and including 14 April 2018 on an ordinary basis, and

(b) from 15 April 2018 on an indemnity basis. (5) I grant liberty to apply should any party seek a variation of the costs order. Catchwords: TORTS – malicious prosecution – institution of proceedings – circumstances in which a private person may be considered a prosecutor – whether defendants instigated the prosecutions against the plaintiff by providing false statements to police – whether defendants maintained the prosecutions by giving false evidence and procuring witnesses to do the same TORTS – malicious prosecution – damages – heads of damages – where plaintiff claims he suffered anxiety and major depression as a result of his incarceration – whether an award of aggravated and exemplary damages would have been appropriate Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), s 3B Commonwealth Criminal Code, ss 474.15, 474.17 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), ss 61, 322 Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW), s 13 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 140 Cases Cited: A v New South Wales (2007) 230 CLR 500 Beckett v State of New South Wales (2013) 248 CLR 432 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Commonwealth Life Assurance Society Ltd v Brain (1935) 53 CLR 343 CCL Secure Pty Ltd v Berry [2019] FCAFC 81 Davis v Gell (1924) 35 CLR 275 Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118 Hobbs v Tinling [1929] 2 KB 1 Lamb v Cotogno (1987) 164 CLR 1 Martin v Watson [1996] AC 74 Mason v Demasi [2009] NSWCA 227 Mitchell v John Heine and Son Ltd (1938) 38 SR (NSW) 466 Sahade v Bischoff [2015] NSWCA 418 Société d'Avances Commerciales (Société Anonyme Egyptienne) v Merchants' Marine Insurance Co (The "Palitana") (1924) 20 Ll L Rep 140 State of New South Wales v Ibbett [2005] NSWCA 445 State of New South Wales v Madden [2024] NSWCA 40 State of New South Wales v Spedding [2023] NSWCA 180 State of New South Wales v Zreika [2012] NSWCA 37 Stanizzo v Fregnan [2021] NSWCA 195 Uren v John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd (1966) 117 CLR 118 Texts Cited: Balkin and Davis, Law of Torts (6th ed, 2021) Fleming, The Law of Torts (11th ed, 2024) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Abdul Waris Kohkanzada (Plaintiff) Neelab Amiri (First Defendant) Mustafa Amiri (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: B Levet (Plaintiff) T Saunders (Second Defendant)